A mountainous stage in the second week of a Grand Tour usually signals a battle royal among the GC contenders. Stage 14 of the 2012 Giro d’Italia was no exception, but what about the three who got away?

The massed ranks of the peloton filled the streets of Cherasco at the start of the fourteenth stage of the 2012 Giro d’Italia

The riders can have been left in little doubt of the scale of the challenge ahead

Basso, Possivivo, Scarponi, Rodriguez and Schleck rode in an elite group of GC contenders

Movistar’s Andrey Amador celebrates the victory of his life after leading for most of the stage

Ryder Hesjedal crossed the line alone to finish fourth after breaking free of the favourites to launch a lone pursuit of the three escapees